


momentum

by glitch_writes



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Getting Together, M/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-21 20:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13151640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitch_writes/pseuds/glitch_writes
Summary: The rest of the car is busy, chatter and pushing and rustling. But for Ennoshita, it’s still, silent. A sea of idle wax dolls as Tanaka weaves through them.“Ennoshita!” Tanaka calls his name casually as he makes his way over. As if it’s only been weeks since he’s last greeted him. As if the past years of silence have been nothing more than his imagination.Ennoshita’s heart aches at the sound.





	momentum

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday, Ennoshita (Dec 26)!

Ennoshita’s mind doesn’t wander into the scenery blurring in the window, but instead races alongside the train. His thoughts are everywhere, his thoughts are nowhere, they’re as loud as the screech of the rails and slipping through his fingers too quickly. Office was slow today, long weekend ahead, too much free time, how’s the old team doing, the back of the #5 jersey, his vice captain’s smile, a dull ache, that old flick where a man falls for a stranger on a train. Grocery shopping, two stops after this one, paperwork, math equations, people shoving into the car, twenty-six, five sets, victory, goodbyes, regrets, a familiar stride by the train door, fetching eyes catching his own-

 

Then everything

                                                         stops.

 

Tanaka’s grin in his direction is all Ennoshita can see.

The rest of the car is busy, chatter and pushing and rustling. But for Ennoshita, it’s still, silent. A sea of idle wax dolls as Tanaka weaves through them. 

“Ennoshita!” Tanaka calls his name casually as he makes his way over. As if it’s only been weeks since he’s last greeted him. As if the past years of silence have been nothing more than his imagination.

Ennoshita’s heart aches at the sound.

“Tanaka.” Ennoshita greets him back with a soft smile. “How have you been?”

“Doing alright! Look at you! Big, important businessman now, huh?” Tanaka looks over Ennoshita, and it must be Ennoshita’s imagination that Tanaka’s gaze lingers longer than it needs to, slow molasses pouring over his shoulders, over his chest, dripping down his tie till it hides behind the blazer’s buttons. “You, uh,” Tanaka clears his throat, “you look good!”

It’s easier for Ennoshita to be subtle as he looks over Tanaka, at how nicely his jeans fit him, at how the deep green hoodie compliments his skin; as much as he likes all of Tanaka, it’s his brilliant grin that Ennoshita struggles most to tear his sight from. He’s always smiled as if he won the lottery, as if the world was a perfect place. As if everything would always be bright, be safe, be alright. “As do you.”

“So, what have you been up to?” The conversation rolls as the train does, starts and glides along smoothly. Where have they been, where do they live now. How did they like university, what do they do for fun, who do they still talk to on the old team. Do they still play volleyball, how are their families, how many dogs do they have, have they seen that new series on the sci-fi channel, are they looking forward to that new zombie movie, how many zombies could they fight off if they were in an apocalypse, what are their phone numbers, do they have any plans for the summer, is there anyone in your life? 

“Nah. Not right now.” Tanaka lets out a small  _ ha, _ as sheepish as the way he rubs the back of his neck, and Ennoshita feels like he’s back in high school, enchanted by every silly antic and every infectious grin and every flush of his cheeks. “What, uh, what about you? Got anyone special?”

“Not at the moment. They come and go. It always feels like…” Like… a puzzle with a single broken piece. Like a cozy sweater with sleeves an inch too short, like a word on the tip of his tongue, like-

“Like something’s missing, right?” Tanaka finishes for him. Completes it for him.

“Yeah. Yeah, exactly.” Ennoshita slides his hand on the handrail overhead that they’re both holding onto until his pinky overlaps Tanaka’s, and the touch, the gaze, the stillness… all of it makes the memory of their last handshake come rushing back to him.

The lopsided grin, the casual farewell, Tanaka’s hand clasped in his. The pause when Tanaka didn't let go, the sudden stillness between them that caught Ennoshita’s breath, the realization in Tanaka’s eyes, the what if’s and what could have been’s and the years of one-sided longing finally returned when it was too late, and Ennoshita let go, walked away- 

Ennoshita's thoughts stop with the train. 

“Um. This is my stop,” Ennoshita says apologetically - apologetic to Tanaka for cutting the conversation short now of all times, apologetic to himself for having to say goodbye again.

Tanaka’s smile is forced; Ennoshita can still tell, can still read him like an open book. Yet another thing that feels like no time has passed since Ennoshita walked away with his regrets clutched close to his chest, regrets that left a hole there that no one could fill. “Let's meet up sometime, yeah? We got too much to catch up on.” Too much time to make up for. 

“Yeah. I'd like that.” Ennoshita gives him a smile weighed with his regrets before he lets go of the handrail. Lets go of his hand over Tanaka’s. Lets go and walks away with his regrets clutched close to his chest again.

Every step away is as weighted as his smile. His feet are heavy as they pass through the door. His ankles are tied to sandbags as he nears the stairs. His legs are lead that can't climb the stairs with all the what if’s and what could be’s and is it too soon, and-

-And damn the what if’s and the timing and all the other excuses he's been feeding himself for years, damn all his regrets for walking away a wretched lifetime ago.

He spins on his heels so quickly he stumbles, and he rushes through the crowd shouting distracted apologies to the people he practically shoves out of his way. 

Tanaka’s rushing towards him, too, pushing past the sea of strangers and calling out to him, his voice cracking with the volume as he calls out to him. “Ennoshita!”

“Tanaka!” He doesn’t hesitate like he would have before, refuses to hesitate, and crashes into Tanaka the moment he’s within reach, grabbing him tightly and burying his face in the crook of his neck.

Tanaka does the same, one hand around Ennoshita’s back and the other on his nape, his fingers buried into his hair.

And they stay like that.

Chests heaving as they breathe in unison. Relieved sighs as they exhale. The faintest of sways as they hold each other.

Ennoshita lifts his head. Their eyes meet.

Tanaka’s eyes are beautiful.

Ennoshita wants to look into them for hours.

Tanaka’s fingers in his hair are gentle as he combs them through. “Chikara,” he whispers, soft as the breath he steals from Ennoshita. 

The station is a world away. The sights. The sounds. The people passing by. They’re light-years away, lost with the regrets of the past drifting away with the crowd. 

There’s only Tanaka.

His smile is softer than Ennoshita’s ever seen.

Ennoshita’s smile is the same, lips curling easily as he presses them gingerly against Tanaka’s. 

 

And he finally feels complete.

**Author's Note:**

> That extra line break before the final line was completely unintentional but it worked / looked cool as heck imo, a christmas miracle
> 
> writing blog: [glitch-writes](http://glitch-writes.tumblr.com) ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ


End file.
